The USAID/Jordan program is a bilateral program operating under an approved Strategy, with well-defined results or Strategic Objectives. All activities funded by USAID/Jordan must be designed to directly contribute to the results outlined in the strategy, and are governed by bilateral agreements, called Strategic Objective Agreements (SOAGs), between the Government of the United States and the Government of Jordan. SOAGs are usually incrementally funded every year and USAID does not guarantee any level of funding over the life of the SOAG. The level of funding for activities within the SOAG is based on the availability of funds.
USAID-funded activities in Jordan are carried out through various acquisition and assistance instruments: contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and purchase orders. Activities are executed through a variety of development agencies, including U.S. private businesses, U.S. and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), host governments and public international organizations. Each acquisition and assistance instrument has its own distinct policies, forms, procedures and associated documents. As a rule, USAID/Jordan’s contracts and grants are awarded through an open competition of proposals initiated by a solicitation advertised by the Mission. To assist you in targeting specific types of business opportunities, the various solicitation types are defined as follows:
Contracts: Instruments used to obtain goods and services for the direct use or benefit of USAID. A substantial degree of operational control is exercised by USAID under a contract agreement. Contracts are subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), the USAID Supplement to the FAR (AIDAR), and applicable portions of the ADS Series 300. USAID notifies the public of possible contracting opportunities through the publication of a Request for Proposal (RFP).
Request for Proposals (RFP): These instruments invite interested parties to submit applications for USAID acquisition and explain what the application should contain, how it should be written, and the evaluation criteria to be used.
Cooperative Agreements and Grants: Instruments used when the principal purpose is the transfer of money, property, services or anything of value to the recipient in order to accomplish a public purpose of support. In Cooperative Agreements, substantial involvement is exercised between USAID and the recipient along the performance of the proposed activity. In Grants, the recipient has substantial freedom to pursue its stated program. A Request for Application (RFA) is used to satisfy the requirement for public notice as well as provide a mechanism for advertising competitive assistance programs.
Request for Applications (RFA): These instruments invite interested parties to submit applications for USAID assistance and explain what the application should contain, how it should be written, and the evaluation criteria to be used.
Opportunities for sub-contracts and sub-grants usually exist within each instrument cited above. This is often the most advantageous means for Jordanian and/or small/specialized American organizations to become involved in USAID’s activities. Such relationships are established through direct contact with the prime contractor/grantee.
Although the majority of USAID’s work is done through the acquisition and assistance competitive process, USAID/Jordan sometimes funds Unsolicited Proposals. These are proposals submitted by applicants to be considered for funding on a non-competitive basis. Potential applicants should be aware that unsolicited proposals must fall within USAID/Jordan’s strategic framework, and that only in highly exceptional cases will applications be considered for funding. In order to be considered, proposals must address a development issue through a new and innovative approach, and must demonstrate a unique capacity on the part of the applicant to carry out proposed activities. Please consult USAID’s Guidelines for Unsolicited Proposals for additional information.
Additional Resources:
USAID has in place several additional mechanisms that can be pursued by interested parties to work with USAID. These include:
Global Development Alliances: A new way of conducting business with USAID, which allows more flexibility and leverages cash and in-kind contributions of private parties to accomplish more than could be done by either of those parties or USAID/Jordan on their own. When private individuals, organizations or foundations express an interest in contributing to a USAID/Jordan project with their own resources, both parties can reach their objectives with less overhead, and with confidence that the money is going where it is needed. This is a very flexible and new tool which is being implemented by USAID, so please contact us if you would like to discuss this.
Middle East Regional Cooperation Program (MERC): The MERC Program funds collaborative research projects between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Established as a result of the Camp David Peace Accords to promote Arab-Israeli cooperation, MERC has expanded beyond its original participants, Egypt and Israel, to include institutions throughout the region. To date, the program has also funded activities with participation from Jordan, Morocco, West Bank/Gaza, Lebanon, and Tunisia.
Development Credit Authority: Development Credit Authority (DCA) is a broad financing authority that allows the Agency to use credit to pursue any of the development purposes specified under the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. DCA seeks to provide USAID with the flexibility to make more rational choices about appropriate financing tools - loans, guarantees, grants or a combination - used in project development. DCA activities are designed and managed by USAID’s overseas Missions.
More detailed information about the regulations governing the Mission’s procurement activities can be found at the links listed below. For additional information, please contact the Contracting Office at USAID/Jordan. |
